Seltzers: Hard at work

The big news from the US is that hard seltzers’ meteoric rise is finally levelling off. Jo Gilbert looks at the category’s trajectory in the UK and how it is piggybacking off the success of canned products.

Future-proofing the on-trade

With the buffeting the on-trade has received it’s hardly surprising that many are talking about ongoing change, as Andrew Catchpole asks what form that may take.

Survey: Indie minded

With our UK’s 50 Best Indies 2021 list unveiled, we’re revealing (anonymously) some of the insights gleaned from our entrants’ survey responses as to how businesses adapted their portfolios and subsequently thrived during the pandemic. Andrew Catchpole picks the persistent trends.

English wine pushing for success

The pandemic has been a catalyst for sales of English and Welsh wine at home and abroad, accelerating a sector that was already on its way to great things. How to keep up momentum is the question, writes Jo Gilbert. 

Scholarly Tasting Technique

A new Wine Scholar Guild initiative aims to change the way consumers assess wine, as Lisa Riley reports.

Lebanon: Fuel for thought

Lebanon’s latest winemaking challenge is a fuel crisis that has left wineries fighting for power, as Andrew Catchpole reports

Evolution in motion

The growing no/low-alcohol cocktail category has seen some serious innovation as bars and consumers seek more substance in their drinks. Clinton Cawood reports on the latest trends

Ready-made cocktails take off

Pre-batched cocktails hit the spot when it comes to consistency, reducing waste and prep time, according to their advocates, as Lisa Riley reports.

Cocktails: Cans win for on-the-move

Ready-to-drink cocktails continue to grow in popularity despite the reopening of the on-trade. Lisa Riley reports.

Bring back brandy

The dark spirit has fallen out of fashion when it comes to cocktails, but there are many reasons to reconsider brandy as a mixing ingredient. Jacopo Mazzeo reports.

SA: When more is less

With South Africa’s wine industry enduring many challenges, including oversupply, we speak to leading producers and importers/buyers to assess how these will affect the country’s position in key markets, such as the UK. By Andrew Catchpole.

Mind the gap

In a drinks world dominated by pale-pink rosé, sweet Italian fizz and a glut of Argentinian Malbec, businesses have to find a sweet spot between pushing the wine category forwards while catering to popular consumer tastes. It’s a delicate balance, says Jo Gilbert.

On-trade is still king for cocktails

Following a tough year of on-and-off lockdowns, consumers across England celebrated the reopening of the on-trade by splashing out on much-missed cocktails, with CGA recording a wave of interest in the popular drinks as consumers sought high-tempo occasions when going out finally returned to the menu. 

Picking up with The Drop

Blending nationwide delivery app, wine bars that retail and ambitious franchisee model, The Drop is taking hybrid to the next level. Andrew Catchpole reports.

'Experience-first' reopening: How hospitality came back with a bang

Since July’s fuller reopening of the on-trade, UK venues are determined to come back with a bang in order to coax punters away from well-stocked home bars. Jo Gilbert takes flight into the new world of ‘experience first’ hospitality

Unsustainable future

Following the successful lobbying of government to ditch the much-derided and unnecessary VI-1 forms for wine imports, trade voices are gearing up for another battle, this time concerning organic wines.

On-trade reopening: Limited freedom

Staycations: mixed reactions to summer boom

The UK’s regions are enjoying a burst of attention with staycationers going in search of the British sun. It’s a shame venues can’t get the staff, says Jo Gilbert.

‘Pingdemic’ brings more pain

Pandemic restrictions may have been lifted, but for hospitality businesses desperate to welcome punters back, a new challenge is thwarting their ambitions. Lisa Riley reports

Exploring alternative premium whites

Modern food and lifestyle choices often naturally lend themselves to white wine, but is the trade doing enough to encourage consumers to trade up and seek out premium choices beyond the usual suspects? In a world where reds often hold top spot, Andrew Catchpole invited a panel to discuss how to better capitalise on and communicate the USPs of alternative higher-end whites, to inspire and broaden consumers’ repertoire, to the benefit of both trade and punter alike. DO Rías Baixas provided the sponsorship and wines in order to whet appetites for the session.